Top of the Shop: Mini Max Toys and Cuts

This is the sixth installment of our new feature called “Top of the Shop”. It’s a biweekly look at a shop in Brooklyn and its 2 top selling items and then our favorite 2 top items. I hope that you see some new shops to visit or old shops that you might have forgotten about. Amazing photographer, Justine Cooper, has agreed to take on the feature, even though she is mainly known for her family portrait work (See her “Spotted” work for us). I think you will appreciate getting to see Brooklyn stores through her elegant photography. Let us know what you think.

Mini Max Toys and Cuts is one of those shops where the longer you stay the more you realize exactly how much they are managing to achieve in their boutique sized space. Yes, you can get a toy or a haircut, but they also have free classes and special events, plus carry a lot of Brooklyn-made and other well curated and diverse items. The owners, which include 3 Brooklyn based sisters, underscore the value of promoting diversity within their Brooklyn community. They use cute mascots to help convey that message.

I was there for Wednesdays Jam Session. Every week, they offer regular events for children at no charge. They have weekly free events which are on A Child Grow’s Daily Calendar:Storytime - Tuesday, 10am (all ages)Jam Session and Sing Along – Wednesday, 10am (all ages)French Storytime – Thursday, 10am (all ages)Punk Rock Bracelets (“friendship bracelets with an attitude”) – Friday, 4pm (recommended ages 6+ or younger with an adult or older sibling who can assist)

Their staff were friendly and really helped me find the perfect gift on my first visit a few months ago. This time I hung out for one of their sing along classes, then stuck around to witness a haircut in their very cool taxi car chair. I also spied some personal favorites in their shop. Matt, their very knowledgeable manager, pointed me to their own Top of the Shop.

Mini Max’s other top seller are these lovely MiYim Organic line of baby teethers, rattles and future favorite stuffed animals. My baby daughter was given a MiYim bunny toy that makes her squeal with delight. Just to prove it doesn’t have to be optical and over the top for a baby to love it!

Okay so this was one of my favorite things here because they just seemed so great for any age. The toddler is going to enjoy them because they are simply fun. An older child might be piqued to learn some history, and my green friends will dig them because they are made in Brooklyn by Jailbreak Collective.

I thought these Calafant sets were awesome. My own son has been into nailing and glueing anything he can get his hands on, then painting it. These tap right into that desire, with slightly more sophisticated designs like pirate ships and tree houses.